In the zone-adjusted finals for Sunday, the debut of Seth MacFarlane***8217;s sci-fi dramedy The Orville on Fox rose impressively from a 2.3 and 7.3 million viewers to a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating and 8.6 million viewers. The Orville matched the debuts of NBC***8217;s drama This Is Us and surpassed Fox***8217;s comedy The Mick, the highest-rated launches last season (excluding 24: Legacy, which followed the Super Bowl).

Like The Orville, midseason entry The Mick too had an NFL lead-in. The Orville outpaced the comparable football-boosted fall premiere of Fox***8217;s comedy Son Of Zorn last year (2.4).

In men 18-34, the core constituency for creator and star MacFarlane***8217;s animated series, The Orville posted the highest-rated broadcast hourlong series debut since Fox***8217;s Gotham on September 22, 2014 (excluding post Super Bowl lead-outs).

I missed the Orville pilot (hurricane) but I managed to catch the 2nd episode tonight. Lost it at the black alien sitting on his egg. It seems like they could make it a full season on FOX if they can keep the budget reasonable, but the network is already moving their time slot so the show's probably doomed.